Tag: Isotopes
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Could a Crumbling Supercontinent Have Jumpstarted Life on Earth?
New Clues That Earth’s Crumbling Supercontinent Could Have Sparked Life When scientists talk about Earth’s distant past, they often reference dramatic shifts in geography and climate. A growing body of research now suggests that the slow breakup of a supercontinent might have been more than a geological curiosity—it could have helped ignite life as we…
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Lipid Biosignatures in MgSO4-Rich Hypersaline Lakes: Implications for Martian Analogues
Introduction Hypersaline lakes and coastal brines are today’s best terrestrial analogues for Martian bodies of water. In particular, columns of magnesium sulfate (Mg-SO4) brines and sulfate-rich salt deposits present chemical settings that resemble deposits inferred on Mars. This study evaluates how lipid biosignatures—such as fatty acids, alkanes, and ether-bound lipids—are produced and preserved in modern…
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Sea Sponges: Earth’s First Animals—Ancient Origins
Sea Sponges: Earth’s First Animals — New clues from ancient rocks In a study highlighted by scientists today, MIT geochemists report new evidence from some of the planet’s oldest rocks that suggests the ancestors of modern sea sponges could be among the first animals to emerge on Earth. The findings, published in the Proceedings of…